Automatic distributor for sprinkler systems



July 6, 1937. D. A. MARRA 2,085,916

AUTOMATIC I ISTRIBUTOR FOR SPRINKLER SYSTEMS Original Filed June 22, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NTO R MMZ/M ATTORNEYfi July 6, 1937. D. A. MARRA 2,085,916

AUTOMATIC DISTRIBUTOR FOR SPRINKLER SYSTEMS Original Filed June22, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [NVENTOR anal 4 MW ATTORNEYS Patented July 6, 1937 OFFICE AUTOMATIC DISTRIBUTOR FOR SPRIN- KLER SYSTEMS 7 Daniel A. Marra, Oakmont, Pa.

Continuation of application Serial No. 732,644,

June 22, 1934.

This

application August 24,

1935, Serial No. 37,782

8 Claims.

The invention relates to sprinkling systems; that is, to apparatus for sprinkling lawns, gardens, or other areas to be watered. This application comprises a continuation of application Serial No. 732,644, filed by me on or about the 22nd day of June, 1934.

Essentially a system of this sort comprises a plurality of conduits extending from a source of water supply to various parts of the area to be watered. Water-spraying nozzles are connected to the conduits; the nozzles are arranged in spaced-apart relation in such area, and in service each nozzle is adapted to cover a fractional portion of the area with its spray, while the several nozzles are adapted to cover the whole. Ordinarily, it is impractical or undesirable to Water the whole of an area at one time, the better practice being to water one portion and then another, until the entire area has been covered.

Communication between the water supply and the nozzle-feeding conduits is controlled by a distributor, and in the case of each conduit the distributor operates automatically in alternately establishing and interrupting such communication. Thus, the several nozzles are brought successively into play, each for a predetermined interval, until all nozzles have been operated and the whole area has been sprinkled.

My invention lies in an improved automatic distributor which is particularly, although not exclusively, adapted for service insprinkling systems, and, by way of illustration, the invention will be described as it is embodied in such a system.

By virtue of my invention, I reduce the number of parts required in an automatic distributor; I obtain greater economy in manufacture, provide simpler construction, provide for more ready assembly, provide for more ready inspection of the distributor in service, reduce maintenance costs, and reduce the space required for an installation.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a diagrammatic view of a sprinkling system embodying my distributor; Fig. II is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of the distributor; Fig. III is a view of the distributor, taken on the plane IIIIII of Fig. II; Figs. IV and V are diagrammatic views, showing in plan from above and in front elevation, respectively, the particular gearing embodied in the distributor; Fig. VI is a fragmentary, sectional view of the distributor manifold, taken on the plane VI-VI of Fig. III, and showing to larger scale certain details-in'construction; Fig.

VII is a view comparable with'Fig. II, illustrating a modification in the structure of the automatic distributor; and Fig. VIII is a fragmentaryview, showing in side elevation a distributor embodying a plurality of manifold units assembled in ac cordance with my invention. 3 I 5 Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 5 indicates an area, say, a lawn, to be watered, and 2 indicates water nozzles which are connected, by conduits 3, to a water supply pipe 4. As usual in water supply systems, the water in pipe 4 is under hydraulic pressure.

Advantageously, the conduits 3 are formed of copper tubing; the conduits are buried several inches beneath the surface of the ground, and each nozzle 2 also is buried, conveniently to such depth that its mouth lies flush with or a little below the surface of the lawn. Thus, the nozzles and conduits are out of sight, and will not interfere with mowers used in trimming the lawn.

Interposed between the supply line 4 and the 20 conduits 3 is a distributor 5 in which the features of my invention are embodied. The'distributor is adapted automaticallyito bring the conduits 3 successively into communication with the supply line. Thedistributor mayzbe located 25 above ground--conveniently, in the cellar of the home, or in the garage. As will presently be described in greater detail, the distributor includes an electric motor 6; when the motor is energized, one conduit 3 after another is brought into communication with the supply line 4, and, during the interval in which a particular conduit 3 is in communication with such supply line, the nozzle (or nozzles) connected to. the particular conduit is caused to sprinkle water upon so much of the U lawn as is within the reach of its spray.

A conduit 1 establishes communication between the supply main 4 and the distributor 5, and an electrically operated valve 8 controls such communication. 40

The electrically operated valve 8 is'a known commercial structure, and so far as concerns-this invention it will suffice to say that the valve in cludes a magnetic element (not illustrated) which is effective to draw the valve member away 45 from its seat. So long asthe magnetic element is energized, the valve 8 remains open, and water flows from the main 4 and into the distributor. When, therefore, the motor 6 and the valve 8 are electrically energized, the sprinkling system au-.

" tomatically operates.

The motor 6 and valve 8 may be connected in common, by circuit wires 9, to any suitable source (H!) of electric energy; the circuit wires 9 include a switch I l, which, when in closed posi-g the motor, whereby the assembly may stand as a unit on any convenient supporting surface. The distributor includes a tubular doughnut-shaped manifold I3, and integrally formed with this manifold is a plurality of upwardly extending, tubular bosses I4; the bosses I4 are spaced-apart circumferentially of the circular manifold I3, and

the manifold also includes a laterally extending tubular boss I5, by means of which the inlet pipe 'I is connected to the manifold. The manifold is equipped with a plurality of legs I! which in service stand united with a drip pan (or trough) I8, and the pan I8 is secured, say by screws I9, to the frame or housing-of the motor 6. The pan I8 is serviceable in catching any water which might leakfrom'the manifold structure and tend to fall into the field windings or armature of the motor.

Referring particularly to Fig VI, it will be understood that each tubular boss I4 opens into the chamber I6 within the manifold. Each boss is internally threaded, and a header 23 is united in threaded engagement therewith; the header includes a chamber 2I which opens through a valve seat 22; a'valve 23 is mounted upon a vertically movable stem 24, and a compression spring 25, organized between the wall of the manifold I3 and the head of the valve, tends to maintain the valve in seated position. The valve stem 24 proijects throughthe top wall'of the header 20, and is equippedaatlits tip with an anti-friction bearing 26. A packing gland12'I is organized in wellknown manner to "prevent escape of liquid between the valve stem and the wall of the header. Oneor more of the nozzle-feeding conduits 3 is secured to each header20, and communicates with the chamber 2| above the head 23 of the valve.

It will be understood that, when the valve stem is forced downward, water under supply pressure in the manifold chamber I6 will flow upward into chamber 2 I, andthence will enter the conduit 3,

whereby the nozzle 2 connected to such conduit will come into play, and will remain in play until the stem 24 is moved upward and the valve is restored to its seat 22.

The organization of the valve is such that the pressure of the water in the manifold I3 tends to hold the valve in seated or closed position; that is to say, the water pressure aids the spring 25 in its function. I contemplate that in some cases the spring may be eliminated, and that the water pressure alone may serve normally to hold the valve in seated position.

The several headers 20 are equispaced in the circular extent of the doughnut-shaped manifold I3, and I-provide a rotary member, having its axis of rotation concentric with the manifold, to effect in automatic succession the depressing of the valve stems 24. The rotary member consists :of an arm 28 whose distal end carries or includes a cam 29 (Fig. II) The arm '28 is secured to a shaft 30 which derives its rotation, through a gear box M, from the shaft I2 of motor 6. The :i

motor and reduction gearing cause the arm 28 slowly to rotate, and, in the. course of such rotation,-the cam29 at the end of the arm successively sweeps across the tips of valve stems 24. Thus, one after another the valves 23 are opened and closed, and water is intermittently fed first to one conduit 3 and then to another. The distal end of the arm 28 is laterally or arcuately extended, as shown at 28a in Fig. III, so that, during the continuous rotation of the arm, the engagement of the cam 29 (formed on the nether face of arm portion 28a) with each valve stem 24 is maintained for an appreciable interval of time. Accordingly, each valve 23 is held in open posi-- tion, and each conduit 3 is held in communication with the water supply for a definite interval. In the present case, the parts are so designed and proportioned with respect to the speed of motor I5 that the valves are severally held open for approximately one minute, whereby the nozzles severally connected to the conduits severally remain in.play for one minute. More specifically, the

arm 28 is geared to make one revolution in eight -minutes,-an'd-in arcuate extent the terminal 28a of the armis equal to one-eighth of the mean circumference of the manifold I3.

Thenormal speed-of an electric motor is relatively high, say 1750 R. P. M., and it will be understood that one revolution of the arm 28 in eight minutes is a relatively slow rotation to obtain'from such a motor. Considerable difiiculty was experienced, not so much in providing gearing toobtain the required speed reduction as in providing adequate gearing that could, advantageously, be incorporated in a small housing (3I) within" the compass of the manifold I3, as

shown in Figs. II and III.

The vertical motor shaft I2 extends upward into the gear housing, and its upper end is threaded, providing a worm pinion which meshes with a worm gear 32 mounted on a horizontal shaft 33, as shown in Figs. IV and V. The shaft 33 carries a worm pinion meshing with a worm gear 34 secured'to a second horizontally disposed shaft 35 which extends angularly to and at an interval above'the shaft 33; a second vertical shaft 30, axially aligned with the motor shaft I2, carries a worm gear 36 which meshes with the worm pinionon shaft 35. The shaft 38 extends above the housing 3| and carries the distributor arm 28. The speed ratio of the shaft 30 to the motor shaft I2 is 1:14000, and it will be manifest that the organization of gearing within'thesmall-confines-of box 3|, to accomplish such speedreduction, is particularly valuable in ardistributor of unit construction.

It will be observed that the gear housing 3| is integrated with the manifold I3 by means of i several supporting arms or spokes 31. It will be perceived that the manifold I3 and the supporting members 31 comprise a wheel-like structure having a circular chamber I6 embodied within the rim of the wheel, with hearing provided for the shafts I2 and 30in the hub of the wheel. The cross-sectional extent of the peripheral chamber is relatively :small with respect to the radius of the wheel. It will be further observed that the manifold I3 carries four lateral plugs 38.-

A guide ring 39 is provided, and the guide ring is similarly provided with lugs 40. The guide ring is mounted concentrically of and above the manifold I3, by means of stays 4|, each secured at its opposite ends to oppositely arranged lugs 38, 49, asshown in Fig. II. The distributor arm 28 includes a finger 42 which bears upon the nether faceofthe guide'ring, whereby the distal end of the rotating arm issupported against the upward thrusts resulting from the successive engagements of the cam 29 with the valve stems 24.

The sprinkling system illustrated in Fig. I in-- cludes only eight conduits 3, and, accordingly, the distributor manifold is provided with eight valve headers 26. In case more conduits 3Iare desired in a particular installation, the manifold l3 may be constructed with a greater number of valve headersthe headers may be arranged in closer juxtaposition circumferentially of the manifold. And, of course, the manifold may be radially enlarged, to permit a greater number of valve headers to be included. But manifestly only a limited number of additional valve headers may, in keeping with good practice, be added to a single manifold.

A feature of my invention resides in the ready interchangeability of manifolds; that is to say. two, three, or more manifold units may be readily incorporated in compact, unit assembly, whereby any desired number of valve headers may be employed. And it is characteristic of such multiple organization of manifolds that the distributor arms 28 of each'may be driven in common through a single gear box 3| and by means of a single electric motor.

In Fig. VIII, for purposes of illustration, two superposed manifolds I3 are shown in such unit assembly. The upper manifold is united tothe lower, by means of stays 43, secured to the lugs 38, 40, already mentioned. The upper manifold i3 is not provided with gear reduction box 3 l the shaft 30 being continued upward from the lower distributor unit and carrying the distributor arms 28 of both units. The electromagnetic valve 8 is organized between the water supply main and the distributor in such way as to control the supply of water to both manifolds l3. Thus, several manifolds l3 may be organized one on top of another, to obtain in a given installation the desired number of independently and automatically controlled conduits 3. Manifestly, in case the number of headers exceeds the required number of conduits 3 in a given installation, one or more of the headers 20 may be removed and the vacated boss l4 plugged.

Many times in the field the water supply pressure is inadequate to produce the desired operation, and, in further refinement of my invention, I organize a pump in unit assembly with the distributor. Referring to Fig. VII, a pump 45 is organized in the line between the water supply main and the manifold l3, the pump being a rotary pump of well-known structure. Advantageously, the pump is secured in the assembly between the base B and the motor 6; the axis of the pumps rotor extends vertically and in line with the shaft I 2 of the motor, and a simple coupling 36 serves to unite the motor shaft with the shaft 4'! of the pump. The pump 45 receives water from line 4 at supply pressure, and feeds it (through line 1) into the manifold l3 at the desired increased pressure. Thus, by virtue of my simplified unitary structure, it is possible to obtain automatically operated sprayssprays which are each effective over a large area of ground. And it will be understood that diminution in water sup-ply pressure will have little or no effect upon the operation of the system.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automatic distributor, the combination of a manifold including an inlet and a plurality of outlets, valves controlling said outlets, and valve-operating members in circular arrangement externally of said manifold, an electric motor, means including an element connected to said motor and rotatable about an axis concentric with said circular arrangement of valve-operating members for shifting such memas described.

2. In an automatic distributor, the combination of a manifold including an inlet and a plurality of outlets, valves controlling said outlets,

valve-operating members arranged circularly, a

guiding ring spaced from said operating members, and means for automatically shifting said valve-operating members, which means include an element rotatable'between said guiding ring and said members.

3. An automatic distributor unit comprising a housed electric motor mounted on end on a base and with its shaft extending vertically, a circular manifold assembled above said motor, with the housing of the motor providing basal support for the manifold, said manifold including a plurality of valve-controlled outlets, and means connected to the upper end of the vertical shaft for operating the valves controlling said outlets. said means including a gear-train arranged within the circular compass of said manifold.

4. An automatic distributor unit comprising a housed electric motor mounted on end on a base and with its shaft extending vertically, a circular manifold assembled above said motor with a drip trough interposed between, and with the housing of the motor providing basal support for the manifold, said manifold including a plurality of valve-controlled outlets, and means connected to the upper end of the vertical shaft for operat-' ing the valves controlling said outlets, said means including a gear-train arranged within the circular compass of said manifold.

5. A distributor manifold comprising a wheelshaped body of cast metal including at the hub of the wheel a housing and speed-reducing gearing in said housing and including in the rim of the wheel a peripherally extending chamber circular in plan and of relatively small crosssectional extent with respect to the radial distance between said rim of the wheel and its hub, and a plurality of outlets communicating with said chamber.

6. A distributor manifold comprising a wheelshaped body of metal including in the rim of the wheel a peripherally extending chamber of relatively small cross-sectionai extent with respect to the radius of the wheel, and spokes extending radially inward from the peripheral body of the wheel and merging in a hub portion housing speed-reducing gearing and providing bearing for a shaft cooperating with said gearing, and a plurality of outlets communicating with said peripheral chamber.

7. An automatic distributor unit comprising a base carrying in assembly a pump having a r tor arranged vertically, an electric motor arranged on end with its rotary drive shaft extending vertically, a circular manifold including a plurality of outlets, valves severally controlling said outlets, and means for operating said valves, said rotary pump and said manifold being arranged in vertical axial alignment with said electric motor interposed between, with the rotary drive shaft of the motor projecting above and below the motor housing for connection to the rotor of said pump and to said valve-operating means. a

8. An automatic distributor including in intric motor arranged on end on said base with its shaft extending vertically and in alignment with the aligned manifolds, a gear-train embodied in the assembly within the circular compass of said manifolds, and means for connecting the geartrain in common with the valve-operating means of the several manifolds.

DANIEL A. MARRA. 

